...thirty-five-hundred years ago” (Haggerty & Lewis). Same sex marriage has been a hot topic in the United States for a very long time. This issue is highly important because marriage is a human right and it a basic moral that all should know. Many people are against gay marriage because according to many right wing conservatives being gay is a choice and that it is against what we learn from the bible. Same sex marriage should be legalized in every state in the United States because it is a basic human right, it shows family values and anti- discrimination, will increase children adoption rates and same sex marriage will also bring financial benefits. Gay marriage should be legal in the United States because it is a basic human right. Although conservatives will continue to debate the issues of gay rights and same sex marriages for years to come, there has been many improvements. Many individuals that oppose gay marriage will “come to understand the fundamental injustice of subjecting gay and lesbian Americans to their own form of Jim Crow rather than sharing in equal rights for all” (Lampo). There is no different from what this nation did to African Americans during the Civil rights movement, to what we are doing to same-sex couples today, not allowing them to get marries. Recognized federal civil rights law in the United States is grounded in the U.S. Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court. By this standard, marriage has long been established as a civil right. The operative...
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...Same-sex marriage: The many sides of legalization SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: THE MANY SIDES OF LEGALIZATION There is no doubt that the family is a vital social unit and that it is impressed with great social interest. For these two reasons alone, it is only justified that the preservation of families should be of paramount importance to the government. The government, therefore, must create laws and institute policies that will promote the welfare of families. It should see to it that families are kept away from all social evils that tend to destroy their foundation. At the heart of families, it is said, is the concept of marriage. If families are to be protected, it stands to reason that marriage should likewise be safeguarded. This begs the question: what should marriage be shielded from? One concern is the prospect of legalizing same-sex marriage. If same-sex marriage is finally legalized, it is said that it will initiate the decline of families. For one, it is said to gravely distort prevailing notions about parenthood. For another, it is against religious teachings. However, proponents of same-sex marriage counter the point by saying that same-sex marriage is beneficial to the concept of family since marriage will no longer be confined within repressive gender constructs. Same-sex couples will now be given the chance to raise their own family, adopting their own children or finding surrogate mothers or sperm donors if they choose to have their own kids. In the end, same-sex...
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...Marriage For All Rebecca Hillman PHI 103 Instructor Anaya 12/9/2013 While religious people feel that it is a great sin, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender (LGBT) marriages can be politically beneficial to politicians and lawmakers because if same-sex marriages were legalized the discrimination against homosexuals would be reduced. The over 400,000 foster children in the United States would have a better chance for a happy home, and same-sex marriages would help with the economic issues America faces. First, LGBT marriages can be politically beneficial to politicians and lawmakers because if same-sex marriages were legalized the discrimination against homosexuals would be reduced. An article on HuffingtonPost.com, by Jillian Berman (2013), states “Considering about half of Americans say they are in support of same-sex marriages.” Gallup's May 2-7 poll suggests Americans' support for gay marriage is solidifying above the majority level. Recently, Rhode Island and Delaware legalized same-sex marriage, and Minnesota is likely to follow suit. That would bring the total number of states legally recognizing same-sex marriage to 12 (Gallup Politics, May 13, 2013). Another huffintonpost.com article, by Murray Lipp, claims that “by making same-sex marriages legal, would affirm the inherent worthiness of LGBT people as valued American Citizens deserving of equal rights under the law.” Since about half of Americans support same-sex marriages, politicians would benefit...
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...Sample Final Exam Essay: Legalize Gay Marriage English—Mr. Fichter (This sample essay is based upon a student-written essay from last year. The student author is anonymous.) Homosexuality is everywhere. You can see it in books, on television, in the media; it is rapidly becoming a social norm. Given this trend of greater acceptance of gay marriage, the issue of whether to legalize same-sex marriage naturally arises. Massachusetts has led the way by legalizing gay marriage. Responding to this example, some states have taken steps towards accepting gay marriage while others are considering laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage within state borders. President George Bush has recently proposed a ban on gay marriage in the U.S. Constitution (Hulse). If Americans carefully examine the situation, however, they should all be able to understand the importance of making same-sex marriage legal in the United States. Those opposing same-sex marriage claim that by allowing this act, marriages everywhere will lose their honor and validity (Kurtz). Marriages between a man and a woman would lose their special importance, these opponents argue, if the definition of marriage is expanded to include same-sex couples as well. The test of time has proven this fear pointless. For several years, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands have allowed gay marriage without any signs of damage to heterosexual couples. Social life in these countries continues unchanged, and...
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...homosexual? What is homosexual marriage? Homosexual is defined as same-sex; meaning ‘sexually attracted only to people of the same-sex as oneself’ (Oxford Dictionary, 2000, p. 883). Homosexual marriage is between two same-sex partners’ also known as same-sex marriage. Homosexual marriage is illegal in some countries and states on a decade of a century ago. The government and the society’s point of view towards the marriage institution should only consist of a man and a woman. The trend of homosexual couples are increasingly gaining approved in other countries but they are still not been allowed to marry. However, in 2004, Massachusetts which is a part of the America is the first state that was allowed same-sex couples to marry (Vestal, 2009). Same-sex marriage was gradually permitted in some countries. According to the Confessore and Barbaro (2011), New York has the highest rate where gay and lesbian couples get married. Due to this, it is obvious that homosexual couples wish that their relationship can be accepted by the society. Nowadays, majority of the people have no problem towards the issue of homosexuality. According to a questionnaire result that was stated in the Beijing News, 100 percent out of 83 percent of the respondents born in 1980 years to 1990 years did not disagree of homosexuality (The Star, 2012, p. 39). The purpose of this paper is to point out that homosexual couples have their rights to marry as legalizing homosexual marriage can also bring a multitude advantages...
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...Gay Marriage Research Paper Did you know that only 17 states in the United States have officially legalized gay marriage? Some of these states include: California Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Maryland became the first state to pass a statute banning marriage between same-sex couples on January 1st, 1973. Then, President Bill Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law on September 21st, 1996. The DOMA mandates unequal treatment of legally married same-sex couples. 3 years later, California becomes the first state to create a domestic partnership statute, on September 22, 1999 allowing same-sex couples to receive some, but not all, of the protections afforded by marriage. (History and Timeline of the Freedom to Marry in the United States). Gay marriage should be legalized in all states because it will boost the economy, it will provide health benefits for the couples , more children will get adopted, and because it can allow same-sex couples to visit their spouse in case they are at the hospital. Making gay marriage legal will boost the economy for sure. Why you ask? It is because the more marriages there are, the more money the state earns. Same-sex couples spend at an average of $9,039 on their weddings, while 31% spent $10,000 dollars or more. New York statistics show that after the first year of legalizing gay marriage, they gained $259 million dollars. (CNNMoney) . Also, according to a 2005 Stanford study cited by the Fiscal Times...
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...Table of Contents · Introduction · Homosexual Marriages Should Have the Same Rights as Heterosexual Marriages. · Comparisons to Other Countries · Europe · Africa · Background · First Argument with Gay Marriage · Changes in the Ability to Get Married · Hate Crimes · Identification of Policy Alternatives · Legalizing Gay Marriage Amongst All States · Legalizing Gay Marriage Amongst All States, but Naming it “Civil Unions” · Legalizing Gay Marriage/Civil Unions Against Some States, Recognizing it in All · Recommendation · References INTRODUCTION: Same Sex Marriages Having Same Rights as Heterosexual Marriages Gay marriage has been an active debate amongst politicians, religious figures, and the public. The debate has spanned over a decade with little change for either side. The issue of gay marriage is not just about the name of what the union is called, but the right to be able to legally join as homosexual couples with the same rights as heterosexual couples. Reasons for someone to be in favor of this topic are that there should be a separation of religion and politics, it deprives homosexuals of their natural rights, and this issue has escalated to violent hate crimes towards homosexuals. As it stands, currently 9 million adults are homosexuals, representing 4 percent of the 18 and over population in the United States with no signs of diminishing. Public administrators have done little...
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...Legalizing gay marriages in USA (Name) (Institution) Abstract Legalization of gay marriages in the USA is being streamlined by acquisition of federal rights and benefits that are usually granted to couples in opposite-sex marriages. Efforts to ban federal laws that ban same-sex marriages, through the Defense of Marriage Act (1996), DOMA, have been successful in some states. Even though a majority of USA citizens have been supporting full marriage rights to all Americans, some groups that oppose gay marriages have strongly stand out to support amendments that would prevent redefinition of the institution of marriage as described by law, religion and media. With these regards, gay marriages should not be legalized in order to protect the marriage institution and the welfare of children raised by such families. Those purporting to advocate for gay marriages, are only interested in the realization of federal rights and benefits and not in the foundations of the marriage institution as described by law or the diverse religious settings in the USA. Keywords: Federal rights and benefits, Defense of Marriage Act, Institution of marriage. Legalizing gay marriages in U.S.A Should gay marriages be legalized in all states in the U.S? Currently gay marriages are not recognized in most US states because of the enactment of Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, which clearly outlined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, therefore prohibiting the federal government...
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...Gay marriage 1 Gay marriage Lynita Scott March 19, 2014 Week 4 Comp/170 Gay Marriage 2 Gay individuals should have as much rights as heterosexual individuals regardless of sexual preference. Gay marriage is viewed as wrong and unnatural by heterosexual individuals. Heterosexuals posed the idea that gay marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage. Marriage is a human right that should not be based upon sexual preference and fear. “Traditional marriage” is one man and one woman not woman and woman. Legalizing gay marriage will not change the way marriage is viewed. The United States is the land of the free, yet discriminates against gay individuals and their rights. Marriage was established from the Christian religion pronouncing the love between one man and one woman. Religious individuals feel gay marriage is a sin and does not deserve the right to marry. A Gay individual not being able to marry violates freedom and rights of those individuals. America is not willing to give gay marriage a chance; the reasons are fear of their children and opening gates for other unusual marriages. Marriage is based upon the Christian religion ordained by God for the lifelong union between one man as husband and one woman as wife. Christian considers it to be sacred and holy. Religion is opposed by many individuals because of their sexual preference. Predominantly Christian based faith as the most influential force, to keeping same Gay Marriage ...
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...Gay Marriage Sio Tevaga University of Phoenix BCOM/275 [ July 11, 2011 ] Debo Onatolu A topic that has many on the edge of their seats is the topic of marriage and primarily where is it heading towards in this generation? Throughout the world and mainly in our country, the subject of same-sex marriage has taken a front seat row because of how our society is shifting towards legalizing the same-sex marriage throughout the United States. There are many valid arguments from both sides of gay marriage and why one side supports it and why the other opposes it. In this essay, I will be discussing articles with reliable and valid data sported by sources that have been reviewed by many respected writers and journalist based on this subject of gay marriage. For over a decade, the issue of same-sex marriage has hit the fore front of America’s politics, setting off waves of competing legislation, lawsuits and ballot initiatives to either legalize or ban the practice and causing rifts within religious groups. For the past couple years, the gay rights movement has made it a goal to persuade lawmakers to consider their point of view and why legalizing same-sex marriage will provide a better place in America’s society. According to John Leo, a U.S. News & World Reporter, “if gays are the social equal of straights, why can’t they marry too?”(Leo, 1993). This question signifies why lawmakers and governments are reconsidering this matter of same-sex marriage and reconsider this...
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...Gay Marriage debate Recently, gay marriage has become an issue of great concern all over the world. The question whether this marriage should be legalized has continued to raise heated-up debates in all social, religious and political arenas. The matter was has come into fresh discussion after the president of The United states of America passed a motion that allows gay marriage in the country. The following is an analysis of a debate that was held to discuss whether gay marriage should be legalized. Arguments supporting legalization of gay marriages If two people are in love, regardless of whether they are both male, both female, or of the opposite sex, it should be no one else’s business. The decision as to whether they are committing their lives to living together lies on them, and should not be jeopardized by the opinions, believes and feelings of others. They have a right to get married- if they so wish, as marriage is a personal decision, and one chooses the life he wants to live, as long as he/she does not compel others to follow that way, and as long as as the decision does not violate or endanger the rights of others (gaymarriage.procon.org). When same sex couples, such as gay couples, are denied the right to get into marriage, it sends the notion that it is acceptable to discriminate against gay people. It depicts such people as social and moral misfits, and thus exposes them to unfair treatment by the members of the society. As much as one may argue that the authorities...
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...to change them. Everyone in the class did a very good job at convincing us what they thought should be done about policies ranging from legalizing marijuana to abortion. I was assigned to watch Dylan and overall I thought he did a very good job. Dylan did his policy speech on legalizing gay marriage and approached it by talking about the separation between church and state. I think that he did an efficient job at portraying what he thought should be changed in the current status of gay marriage. I thought it was memorable because he started his speech of by saying, “discrimination” and then paused. This slight pause and single word stuck out to me because he discussed how homosexuals don’t have equal rights and that’s unconstitutional. He went through the history of marriage and how it was originally a separate entity from the church, which made his argument very convincing. I also thought it was very memorable and effective how he referred and related the legalization of gay marriage to Plessy v. Ferguson, which was a civil rights case that said that blacks were “separate but equal” to white people. Relating these two different cases made it very easy to follow what he was saying and he had me agreeing with him after this reference. All in all Dylan used very strategic methods to convince the class of his views on legalizing gay marriage. While the speech was very good I would say it was memorable for negative reasons because it didn’t have a clear thesis at the beginning...
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...Anh Huynh – Brett Lavigna Afiwa Tapoyo Kay Dishner English 1302.006 1 February 2013 Homosexual marriage Back in the time, homosexuality was viewed as very negative and people did not even talk about that. However, nowadays it has changed and homosexuality has become more socially accepted. Getting to that point people believe that same-sex marriage should be legalized. Because some people have still not accepted this practice, it has created a big controversial issue. People have conflicting opinions about homosexuality in regards of nature, equal rights, and impacts over the population. Being homosexual for most people are not a choice, it comes from genetic characteristics. There is a twin research shows that if one identical twin is gay, the other twin is also likely to be gay. Moreover, if in the family have people are gays or lesbians, it will be high percent for a baby to homosexual characteristics. This means that genes are important in deciding sexual orientation (Greg). However, somebody think it is not normal and different from law of nature. If we are straight, it does not mean we assume everybody like us; because everybody is not the same. Nevertheless, even if homosexuality seems to be genetic for some, the nature has made women and men predisposed to be together. The law of the nature wants for every species to form couples only between male and female. Even the shape of genitals proves that. A woman’s vagina has a hollow shape, in sort that the penis which...
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...Should same-sex marriage be legalized federally with all states required to comply? As of Feb. 9, 2015, gay marriage has been legalized in 37 U.S states. Twenty-seven percent of Americans thought same-sex marriage should be legal in 1996, according to a Gallup Poll. Fifty-five percent of Americans think it should be legal in 2014, according to the same poll. Legalizing same-sex marriage could have benefits related to an economic boost and the sanctity of marriage. Another reason it should be legal is because marriage is not only a human right, but it is also a civil right. I don’t see why the other 13 states shouldn’t be required to comply with the legalization of same-sex marriage. Many argue that the legalization of same-sex marriage would require more government spending and less revenue, but that is incorrect. The country’s economy would benefit from the legalization of same-sex marriage. The legalization of same-sex marriage has been proven to provide an economic boost to those states and countries that have made same-sex marriage legal. Government revenue from marriage comes from marriage licenses, higher income taxes in some circumstances, and decreases in costs for state benefit programs. Allowing gay couples to marry provides businesses in this industry with a large and new market to access. Nearly $260 million was injected into the New York City economy in the year following the legalization of same-sex marriage. Gay marriage tourism benefits those states which...
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...Same-sex Marriage in Mainland China Sun Wenlin, the 26-year-old plaintiff, walked out of the court hand-in-hand with his partner, Hu Mingliang, and said he would appeal. Their case was heard at a court on April 13, 2016, in Furong district, Changsha city, Hunan province. The lawsuit was brought by the couple, who were challenging the decision of a local civil affairs bureau that had denied them the right to marry. The case was dismissed after an open hearing that lasted three hours and was held before an audience of nearly 200 people, including many journalists. It was the first case of its kind in China in which gay people had tested whether same-sex couples have the right to marry. While homosexuality is not illegal in China, same-sex marriage has not yet been explicitly legalized. Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is marriage between people of the same sex, either as a secular civil ceremony or in a religious setting. The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriages. Since then, same-sex marriages have been performed in more than 20 countries. Nowadays, in mainland China, no same-sex marriage or civil union is recognized. The Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China explicitly defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman. No other form of civil union is recognized. As early as two decades ago, homosexuality was a taboo subject. However, with social development, Chinese people have become more open-minded about a variety...
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